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DJ Envy
This is an iHeart podcast.
Charlamagne Tha God
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Just Hilarious
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Ricky Smiley
Panoramic moonroof, ambient lighting, bows and massaging leather. Appointed seats are optional features.
Angela Yee
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
Ricky Smiley
The Breakfast Club.
Just Hilarious
Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.
Angela Yee
Yes indeed.
Ricky Smiley
He's back.
Just Hilarious
Ladies and gentlemen, Ricky Smiley.
DJ Envy
Hey, hey.
Ricky Smiley
Thank y' all for having me. Your own show, Ricky, Huh?
Just Hilarious
Don't you got your own show?
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, I got off early, pre recorded a prank phone call, said let me slide on over here with my folks, man.
Angela Yee
Ricky, I would laugh so much watching your special, man. I was telling them that this morning.
Ricky Smiley
You saw it?
Angela Yee
What you mean? I saw it?
Ricky Smiley
Okay. Yeah, I knew you was going to.
Angela Yee
Be with it, man. I laughed so hard. You know why? Cuz it felt warm.
Ricky Smiley
Right?
Angela Yee
You know what I'm saying? Regardless of what you said, that people might be offended by it. Just felt like it was coming from a good place.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, they'll be all right. That's a problem, man. The comedy is just. Everybody is too sensitive right now. We need to get back to the 90s when comedians did what they did. Eddie Murphy Raw is still funny. Yep. Yeah, I don't get offended at nothing. Eddie Murphy Delirious is funny. All Fox, Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence. Those specials are Mark Curry. All of those specials are still funny, man. We just in A cancel culture. And on this one, I just say what the hell I want to say.
Angela Yee
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
And just have fun with the audience. The audience that came out to see you, they say, we want you. And that's what I gave him.
Angela Yee
I wouldn't want a young kid to watch Eddie Murphy raw, delirious, especially a young member of the LGBTQ community. You gotta ease into that one now.
Ricky Smiley
You can't just.
Angela Yee
Yeah, you can't just turn that one on now.
Just Hilarious
But is that why it took you 10 years to do another special?
Ricky Smiley
No, man. You know what happened? I got in the radio, got into raising the kids. I was still performing on the weekend. You just had to give yourself some space, give yourself a cushion to. To have a balanced life, you know, do radio, you know, do shows or whatever, but then push the kids on the swing set and just have some fun and enjoy life and sit on the beach a couple of. A few weekends. Instead of three shows on a Saturday, two shows on a Friday. And it ain't the shows, it's the in between show. Just, you know, the two hour. The two and a half to three hour wait for you to go back on stage in between shows, sitting in a room with comedians, and we run out of things to talk about, and your voice gone, and. And it just. That was kind of. I just needed. I just needed a cushion. So I didn't put pressure on myself to do another one. I just kept performing in David Talbert.
Angela Yee
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
And Land Tablet. It was like, hey, man, you need to do another special. You haven't done one in. In years. I said, okay. We put it off, and we was on a boat swimming with sharks. He said, man, excuse my life. He said, I want to put some cinema on your.
Just Hilarious
You curse.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. He said, I'm gonna put some cinema on your. I said, okay. He said, when you look at Eddie Murphy, raw, Eddie Murphy, delirious, he said, I want to shoot your. You know, say you haven't been presented the right way. You did comedy specials on Comedy Central and on all these other shows. He said, but, man, we got that. We got to do you right. So I was like, cool. And we did. We shot it. Did three shows, and it was fun. I had a good time. If I had one critique, I just felt like I. I don't know. I just kind of felt like I had something to prove. And I think I should have just took a deep breath and just relaxed a little bit. When I go back and look at, you know, you. Your own worst critic, you hear yourself on the Radio. You're gonna turn the station. You ain't gonna sit absolutely and listen to. I can't stand to listen to myself.
Just Hilarious
What do you gotta prove to you?
Ricky Smiley
Just felt like you just have something to prove, like, you coming out, like. Like. Like, calm down.
DJ Envy
Like, it was like a walk in the park for you. It was like an uncle at a cookout like you. That's why I was gonna ask you, did you write anything? It just seemed like you just had it, and it was just. It was there, like.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, just. I had been working on some of that material for years, and it was just sharp. It was developed. I had. Did it in comedy clubs. I had Rita Brent, comedian, Special K, Big Sean, Levar Walker, you know, you know, helping me out or whatever, giving me, you know, punching up the stuff, making it funny and performing it, you know, so when you perform the stuff, you know, just when we did shows together, you know, how many times I. I'll pull y' all to the side and say, hey, look, you make a mistake right here. Do this right here, and then flip that, do that right there. I wish I could coach comedy. That's.
DJ Envy
Oh, I wish that. You definitely need some comedy coaches.
Ricky Smiley
I would tell her, I was on B. Simone ass one night.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
I said, why did you do that? I bought her the dressing room. I said, you need to do this like this. She said, for real? She said, I just really appreciate you even taking the time.
Just Hilarious
Are they receptive, though, the younger comedians?
DJ Envy
She was, well, I'm sorry. I made it.
Ricky Smiley
I'm sorry.
DJ Envy
But she was. Cause she did exactly what he. Cause we were all on the same show. We was on the same show exactly what he told her to. And she got a bigger response.
Ricky Smiley
Sure did.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
And, man, when she came on stage, man, we jumping and hugging everybody, like, well, what's going on? I said, we had made a critique, and I said, hey, you should do this like this, or whatever. The thing with the cell phone had everybody light it up. I said, don't cut that off. You gotta keep that moment. You got to build off of that. And then boom, boom, boom. And. And she did it the very next night in Houston. And we was just going crazy about it because, you know, I take the time to coach them. I pull just to the side and say, hey, let's do this like this. Or what do you think? Or do you think this will work better? I'm trying to tell them what to do, but that's our job because we was coach, you know, you couldn't make no Mistakes, Steve, Did I ever tell you that story? No, man. I was dressed like LL Cool one night on the show with Steve Harvey. Okay.
Angela Yee
Yeah. He told you put the suit on.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. And damn right, man. You have to get. You have to. You to have. Have to respect somebody. Put think enough of you to pull you to the side. Because most people not gonna say nothing.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Angela Yee
Can you coach people when they not funny?
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. Hey, hey, just don't, don't go back on.
Angela Yee
UPS is hiring now.
Ricky Smiley
You can write jokes, you can write funny, but they have to know how to perform it or whatever. Or you just have to find that. Find that whatever that niche is and build from there or whatever. Yeah.
Just Hilarious
So is it okay for comedians to have writers?
Ricky Smiley
Yeah.
Just Hilarious
Okay, so. Cause you know, some people like, nah, I write my own jokes, I do my own stuff. Like you see that so much. But now is the day rappers got writers. Now they help with certain things. Is that okay? Or is it one of those things?
Ricky Smiley
Like, yeah, you give them your concept. You said, sometime I have a punchline. I said, here's a punchline. I tell you what, I tell you another story. Cedric the Entertainer wrote Lil Darrell. Really? No.
Angela Yee
Now that I didn't know.
Ricky Smiley
That's a true story.
Angela Yee
Wow.
Ricky Smiley
Now, you know the hotel in Atlanta when you get off on 14th street by Georgia Tech, that Marriott right there next to the Four Seasons, right there on 14th Street. We were staying at the hotel. Cause we opened up Uptown comedy club that was behind Houston's where we was doing the very open the opening weekend. And I said, said I got this, this joke about this kid saying this Easter speech. And we was in a 79 cutlet driving up Peachtree. He said, oh man. I said, what should I name it? He said, oh man. He was going through that. He said, little Darrell? He said, little Darryl. He said, yeah, he's saying the Easter speech. And he said, my name Lil Darrell. And Liz said, entertainer pretty much helped me develop that entire joke that changed my entire career. I did that, that joke on Comic View and my career took off. Like they still talk about it. People weren't even born. Well, I don't know if you was born when I did.
DJ Envy
No, but I know exactly.
Carlos Miller
I know it right.
Ricky Smiley
Say it. Said developed that joke for me.
Angela Yee
You're saying things in this special that people need to hear. For example, tell this brother Envy why he shouldn't dye his bed.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, yeah. Don't die because that just for men or whatever, that's exactly what he is.
Just Hilarious
Just for men.
Ricky Smiley
I got a little die in there, But I let the little gray seep out a little bit because women like that, right? Yes, you a zaddy.
Angela Yee
Okay.
Chris
Okay.
Ricky Smiley
Be one a zaddy. Get Envy. We got to get off that van. We got to get off that van with them ogs with. With them gray beards with them suits on. Envy, we got to get off the van with that.
Just Hilarious
I like my little just for men a little bit. I like my little just for men.
Ricky Smiley
Let the little gray come on out. Women like it.
Just Hilarious
Got a couple.
Ricky Smiley
I got a couple. Couple that. Now I got the little gray coming out or whatever, but I took a eyeliner, the. The little mascara and kind of brushed over this part or whatever. But you got to make sure you got a nice blend. Like, I'm young, but the gray shows the wisdom. You know what I'm saying? You do that, and you take your two honey packs and have them sticking out of your pocket. Let them. Let them know. Let them know you can still clap them. Chee. Clap them cheeks.
Angela Yee
That. That. That Shorty Low hit, too, man, when you came out, man, why you wanted to use that song and call it Special Foolish?
Ricky Smiley
My producer, my morning show, we did a live broadcast somewhere, and she said I was all over the place because, you know, I go find winos and crackheads and put them on stage and let them sing and stuff. I let people. People get it out.
DJ Envy
Yes.
Ricky Smiley
You know what I'm saying? Like, I. I put them on. I. I got a surprise for you later on.
Angela Yee
No, I got a surprise. You my brother.
Ricky Smiley
I got a surprise. You're a good dude. I got something for you that's gonna bless your life. You too, Jess. I got something for you, Envy. You just stay with me. We right here. I got something for y' all ass this morning. Cause y' all comedian. This gonna bless your life. I ain't know. Oh, no, no. You. You. You got a whole lot of you and Donnell Rollins. Y' all be cracking me up or whatever. Yeah, you got you in. You in the comedy family, so. Yeah, you. You one of us. We need to pledge him. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just Hilarious
He gonn. I wanted to ask about butterflies. You still have butterflies when you perform on stage?
Ricky Smiley
Hell yeah. You do it so much, man, if you're not about to. If you don't have a bubble in your ass, you about to fart like you run. You got passing gas, you know, just. You ever farted, like, headed to the.
DJ Envy
Microphone, I'm talking about, like, take a shit, like, right before, like 20 seconds before you gotta go on. You feel it right at the tip.
Just Hilarious
You be like, dang, she's done that here. How about that?
Ricky Smiley
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess and Mike Epps don't care. They'll blow up anybody's bathroom. What? Mike Epps took a shit one time. Mike Epps farted on the set of Friday After Next, and we had to stop taping.
Angela Yee
No.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, it was in. In the little house where we was doing the. The scene with the Christmas tree fighting. Mike Epps let one go that day. They said, we gotta take a break.
Angela Yee
God damn.
Ricky Smiley
It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't enough spray. It wasn't. It was something in there. I don't know what Mike Epps ate, but him. And just. They don't care. They in them blew. They blew up bathrooms. I got sick. I was so nervous. Oh, Donnell Rollins, low down ass. Oh, I don't know if you did that show when the Martin Lawrence tour was in Atlanta. I don't know if you. I think it was B. Simone.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
So Covid had just came out. Darnell Rollins goes on stage. And, man, he started doing this stuff. He took the hand sanitizer on stage and, you know, that was when Covid first started, because two weeks after that, they canceled all the shows to tour because Covid had got dangerous. And he had the hand sanitizer and he was pumping, skiing the hand sanitizer everywhere on stage. The freaking audience was going crazy. I'm on Saturday. Yeah. Not realizing that I was next. I'm celebrating, like, yeah. My role model said, hey, Rick, you next? You need to get your shit together. Cause look what he doing, man. He did a 26,000 standing ovation. However many people that are renting. 12,000, 20,000, whatever. The state farmer, a full house.
Angela Yee
I don't believe Donald Rollins ever got a stand.
Ricky Smiley
No, no, we ain't gonna do that. We ain't gonna do that. You don't do that. That's my guy.
Just Hilarious
That's our guy.
Ricky Smiley
Oh, you should have been there.
Angela Yee
I got. I believe Donnell funny.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. Tell Benji Brown to send you the video. Benji Brown got it on tape.
DJ Envy
Shout out to Benjamin.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, shout out to Benjamin Brown. So I was next. So I have a Playbook Charlemagne. So I have Acts 1 through 9. So it's not different jokes, but it's the order that I do the joke, depending on what happens before I go on stage. You know what I'm saying? I watch Nick Saban's speech before I perform.
Angela Yee
Oh, from. Okay.
Ricky Smiley
You watch a Nick Saban or Coach prime speech, you can you can transform that into comedy in order to get motivated? I'm not lying, man. Football.
Angela Yee
So what does Nick Saban of Prime said that you actually. What's your mind that you remember that you go out there and you.
Ricky Smiley
It's like he always talk about winning and being your best and just. It just builds you up to where you need to be to do whatever it is that you need to do, even though we not playing football. So here Darnell Rollins on stage, and you got all of the bloggers on the first two rows, all the celebrities on the first two rows. And if you have a bad show in Atlanta, just. You can kiss comedy, period. Let's just kiss and say goodbye. Your career is. Oh, you finna be in all the blogs that they walk out on you. You about to be in the blogs. And he got a standing ovation, and I had to come with it. And I went on stage and I put that work in and got a standing ovation behind him. And I saw the blog.
Angela Yee
I saw when they wrote about you getting a standing ovation in Atlanta. They ain't mentioned Donnell though.
Ricky Smiley
They did.
Angela Yee
Now you gonna have.
Ricky Smiley
Now you gonna have him showing up at my show, standing up in the aisle, and it's gonna be a Donnell RS and Ricky smile instead of D. Rogers and hey, Darnell, Darnell, you know you my boy.
Angela Yee
I'm. I'm.
Ricky Smiley
I'm giving you props. Kick Charlemagne's ass, not mine. Yeah. So. So. And I went backstage and. And I was throwing up and damn. Yeah. At the same. Because it was pressure. You can't get no standing ovation. Your career is over. Everything you work for. If you don't have a good show in Atlant Atlanta, you look at every show like that.
Just Hilarious
Like you have to get that off.
Angela Yee
No certain cities.
Ricky Smiley
No that particular city. And Donnell Rollins had. Did this Covid joke that up that shocked the crowd, and it was so freaking funny. I don't even think he wrote that.
DJ Envy
Fresh. And it was fresh. So he was like, right, just.
Ricky Smiley
And he did the joke off the top of his head, and he was just improving. That was no written joke because you can't. The joke was not developed so right because Covert had just came out. So it's fresh. So he off the top of his head, he ripping. I'm saying drug dealers with necklaces on falling all on the floor crying. People getting up, slapping each other. You ain't seen that's in Def Jam. That's crazy.
DJ Envy
Not that kind of slapping each other too much.
Angela Yee
Yeah, they're Doing the special in Birmingham make you too comfortable?
Ricky Smiley
Nah.
Angela Yee
Okay.
Ricky Smiley
No, because I didn't even realize where I was, you know? You know, you're in Birmingham, but you playing to the cameras. I'm playing to a national audience. Like, y' all sit here and do this show. Yeah. You see 125th street, but you also see Highway 280 on Birmingham and 95 in Miami. When you own radio, you. You see Baltimore. You see. See. See people driving on. On. On the. The tollway. Absolutely. So, yeah, you. You playing to the cameras. You got. You feel like you got something to prove because you haven't done one in a while, so. And then we took about 40 minutes off of it. I produced it. Yeah.
Angela Yee
I saw you say at the beginning, you was like, I'm about to be up here for two hours. At the beginning of the special, you was like, I'm gonna be up here for two hours.
Ricky Smiley
I got it all out.
Chris
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
You know, you'd be trying to save jokes for the road.
DJ Envy
Yeah, man.
Ricky Smiley
I was like, the hell with that. I figured that other part out. Let me just give it all. So I laid it all on the table.
Angela Yee
But that editing process got to be stressful, man, to cut it down to an hour.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah.
Angela Yee
A whole hour.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
It was a lot of stuff in there. A lot of good stuff. I could take the leftover stuff that I didn't use and do a whole nother 30 minutes special. Yeah, I could.
DJ Envy
Would you do that? That'd be dope.
Ricky Smiley
Well, what we'll probably do is just take some. I'll get some advice from y' all, because y' all good with stuff like that. I'll probably take some of those clips and lick them on the Internet or whatever, But I own the license, and I. I take that out. I walked it over to Hulu. Kevin Hart was, you know, negotiating with him. And then Netflix said, we like it. We'll give you a date for 2026. Because they already have comedians lined up. Comedians lined up. And Hulu said, we'll take it now. And then I thought that was cool, because Bill Burr and then Roy Wood Jr. Did theirs. You know, Roy Wood and I, we come from the same station. We come from. Both come from Birmingham. I was like, well, that. That's a nice fit. They doing comedy now. So they took it, and here we are.
Just Hilarious
What's success to you when it comes to that type of special or just getting it out?
Ricky Smiley
Is that just making sure that it's special? That's the thing. They call them specials, but the question becomes, you want it to be special. You want it to be one that you and your mom gonna pull out on Thanksgiving. Like. Like this special right here. I believe that they're gonna pull it out every Thanksgiving and every Christmas, we're gonna sit down and watch the special. Not a lot of cussing. Maybe one or two cuss words. You can watch it, they can get by it. One or two cuss words that I use. And, you know, every Thanksgiving and Christmas, that's gonna be something that people will watch just like they watch little Daryl. And the. How you do that there with the basic goods. Charlamagne, I had that in there. We had to edit it out because I couldn't get 10. So whoever owned 10 of that song, we could not find them to pay them.
Angela Yee
Wow.
Chris
Wow.
Ricky Smiley
Or whatever. But the Thanksgiving in the Christmas part of it is my favorite. Tommy Davidson, FaceTime me yesterday, still laughing at one joke about the midget. And it just wiped him out. He went, yo, we was at the improv in Hollywood. Tommy Davidson went from table to table repeating his joke while it was still showing on the screen. He would sit his ass down, and he was going from table to table just repeating that joke. And I just sat back.
Angela Yee
Salute to Tommy. It's a lot of funny today. I like, she called herself trying pussy.
DJ Envy
That is so true. Yo, that was every aunt, every uncle, every grandmother.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, them black mamas don't play that. No, white people say, oh, my God, my. My daughter is gay. Them black mamas. Where Brianna? She back there calling herself liking pussy.
Angela Yee
That's some holiday shit, though. But that's when you find out about that type of shit.
Ricky Smiley
And all people messy. Because nobody asks you. We ask, where is Brianna? Why does she have to say that? Why can't she just say, she's in the back room back there, and here's our mess hauling herself like it, yo. Yeah, now that was the moment they hit the floor.
Angela Yee
Yes, that shit was funny, man. I wanted to ask you something about Hulu. Do you think the screaming platforms are changing the landscape for standup comedians?
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, I don't know a lot about it. I'm still learning as I go because my, you know, my agent, they have to kind of sit me down and explain to me how this stuff work. Because you think you shoot a special. Okay, let's run it over to bet. Because that's what I'm used to. That's what I always done. I always done my comedy specials on bet. Shout out to BET for giving me my start.
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Ricky Smiley
Appointed seats are optional features. Hey fam.
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Ricky Smiley
Nice in LA with Chris Spencer who did not show up to my premiere. I talked to him on the phone all day and my friend Buddy Lewis riding around LA.
Just Hilarious
Cause he was at St. Martin with me this weekend.
Ricky Smiley
The last week his ass was in LA talking about him and Buddy Lewis riding around. Lonnie Love came yash on Chris Smith. He, you know, he's the mayor of la.
Angela Yee
Absolutely.
Ricky Smiley
Much respect. I'm just throwing shade at him because he's like my brother and I never do anything without talking to Chris Spencer. I get on his nerves. He get on my nerves. But if I have an idea about doing something, I never made a move without picking up the phone, calling Chris Spencer. Why?
Angela Yee
Why Chris? He just gives you good direction.
Ricky Smiley
He's just a good dude, man. He's just a good dude, man. He ain't gonna screw you over. He ain't gonna talk about you behind your back. He gonna always give you the best advice, man. And he's genuine. Then he ain't gonna be on the phone with you all day. You know, say what he got to say, get his ass off the phone and. And that's that. I just really respect him and I respect how other comedians and I respect him on stage. Yeah, you know, Chris is funny as hell, but he didn't show up to my, my thing. You know how like when your dad is operating, exercising his visitation rights and you're on the porch and you care about, you know, all your cousins that y' all having the family reunion but your, your dad didn't come and then that, that music come on, that's what that was like. I was standing in front of the Hollywood Improv and I hope when y' all shoot y' all do a split screen with Chris Spencer and oh, they can do it. It was hurtful. Just that thing. I bring it up to therapy. But I got something for y' all.
Angela Yee
Do you have.
Chris
Oh, God.
DJ Envy
You get me nervous. Do you ever feel like you have to reinvent yourself for the new generation?
Ricky Smiley
I did. I did at one point, but I stopped doing that. I just started feeling like I have a fan base. I have audience that love me and love what I do. And y' all, don't ever forget to stick to what you do. You don't have to fit in with certain crowds and certain cultures and certain organizations. You don't have to fit in and do what you do. Why do the people. Why do people come to see you? I don't care who's funny and how funny they are. You might not be as funny. Do you. You know, God brought you here for a reason. God, like, these last two years have been the toughest two years of my life. I wrote my son's name and birth date on the wrist of my arm before I went on stage. Cause my son was a comedian, you know, and my son is on the special. So after I say goodnight or whatever and the credits rolling, you can see a clip of me and. Me and Brandon on stage and Brandon standing there performing. He. You know, it shows about five minutes of his performance, you know, split screen with the credits on the other side. So what a great way to.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
To honor your son. You know, with us on stage together like we was. I had him on stage when he was seven years old, telling jokes and stuff. I would take him on tour, have toys in the dressing room or whatever. I raised all my kids in the drink. They can tell you what every dressing room looked like.
Angela Yee
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
So it was a blessing to do that. Yeah.
Angela Yee
And you've always spoke about feeling. Feeling Brandon's presence during performances. So how does that spiritual connection manifest on stage for you?
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, it's almost like you're doing it for him, you know? You know, you're doing it for your son now. My son or whatever, he had his favorite comedians, you know? You know. You know, your kids always want to grow up, try to be different from you. I don't want to be like you. My son loved Eddie Griffin. My son loved Roy Wood Jr. And stuff. And, you know, he just had the different comedians that he liked or whatever, you know, so he had a whole different style of doing comedy. His comedy was more, you know, kind of like thoughtful. A mix between Roy Wood Jr. And Lil Rail.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
You know what I'm saying? That was. That was his whole side he had a lot more. He was a lot more intelligent, so.
DJ Envy
He didn't know a lot of the older comedians. He just.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, yeah, he knew him, but he just had his. Had his own style, you know, of performing, whatever. I enjoyed him. I miss him. But these last two years was really, really tough, and now I'm at home being a dad. You got to meet my twins.
DJ Envy
I do.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. They're a lot of fun. I got some real daddy's girls. And God, just. That was a blessing to my life. And I. I thank God gave me those twins as a distraction to my grief, because I felt like I was dying. I feel like I was dying inside. Yeah. I feel like. I feel like one of these mornings I was not gonna wake up. That's how bad it is. That's how hurtful. You have beautiful family. Thank you. Your babies, man. And I. I don't wish that on nobody.
DJ Envy
Yeah.
Ricky Smiley
I don't wish that on my worst enemy. It's horrible, you know? So shout out to all the mothers, all the parents out there that had to bury a child and lost a child. Keep your kids in sports, keep them in athletics. The discipline and the structure matter. We got to learn to give kids more of what we had as opposed to what we did not have. Right. That's what's ruining kids. If you like who you are, then give the kids what you had. You know what I'm saying? And I just wish everybody the best, and I hope all of y' all kids are safe, graduate college, and go on to be productive people.
Angela Yee
I agree with all of that. But I will say some of these kids need a little bit more than going to the water fountain. If you're dealing with.
Ricky Smiley
So you really did.
Angela Yee
Are you dealing with some type of, like, mental health issues or emotional issues? You need more than the water fountain, Ricky.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. Yeah. They didn't have medicine for adhd.
Angela Yee
Oh, hell no.
Ricky Smiley
I was growing up. It was go to the water fountain. You know what I'm saying? Send me in a classroom with those lights like that, going all the way across or whatever. That's back. Before you start exchanging classes, you was in one. You remember that?
DJ Envy
Elementary school being in one place.
Angela Yee
I don't even know if they got that no more. I keep wondering, do they still got the trailers in the back?
Ricky Smiley
Nope. Hey, stop.
DJ Envy
Trailers.
Ricky Smiley
Stop.
Just Hilarious
Charlemagne was one of those classes.
Angela Yee
I felt for a second.
Ricky Smiley
For a second he was in that.
Just Hilarious
He was on that short bus, too. For a second, too.
Angela Yee
I don't know if they still got the short bus, dude. I don't even see him no more.
Ricky Smiley
N. They put them on the bus with the regular kids. And now. And I know back then they, they go to lunch at 9:30.
Angela Yee
Yeah, they used to eat before everybody.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, they go to lunch at 9:30 because they get out at 12. And I, I. I had history class first period, and I could hear. Hear them running down the street. I mean, not down the street, running down the hall at 9:30 when that little ninth. There'd be a short bill like Dream Dream or whatever, not a long bill.
Angela Yee
What you mean you can hear them?
Ricky Smiley
Like Bring Britain. You can hear them because of the, the. It was like clicking, the noise. The, the, you know, back then, they wore the shoes with the, you know, with the steel on the side or whatever.
Angela Yee
Not all of them. Not all of them.
Ricky Smiley
Just some of them. And some of them were run real fast or whatever, and I would sit there and just crack the hell up.
Angela Yee
What do you sound like?
Ricky Smiley
Lunch, lunch, lunch running down the hall or whatever.
Angela Yee
Smile.
Ricky Smiley
You going to hell. You. You going. But, but we want, we want to bring love back. It's, it's.
Angela Yee
We going together on the show.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, we all. We all going to hell. And it's, it's. It's time for us to bring love and, and just. I bought you a gift, man.
Angela Yee
Where's the gifts at, Ricky?
Just Hilarious
Come on, behind the couch.
Ricky Smiley
You got the music ready? Here you go. Hit the music. Oh.
Angela Yee
There he go.
DJ Envy
Y' all are crazy.
Angela Yee
Y' all crazy. Give him a little dance. Give him a little bit.
Ricky Smiley
What?
Angela Yee
Hey, do it. Move out the way.
Chris
Go ahead, Chris.
Cindy Crawford
Wow.
Angela Yee
You know Jeff Love of Chris now? Yes. His name Chris. Chris, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Don't give up too much.
Chris
Chris.
Angela Yee
Don't let up. You asked for consent first. Now it's going down. Let's go.
DJ Envy
I wish I had some one, but I don't know.
Just Hilarious
Charlamagne.
Chris
Next.
Ricky Smiley
Charlemagne, you next. Yes. Go get him.
Chris
Oh, you don't want.
Angela Yee
He said, I don't do niggas.
DJ Envy
I don't.
Ricky Smiley
No, I don't.
Chris
I don't do.
DJ Envy
Man, I know that's right there.
Angela Yee
There you go.
Ricky Smiley
I thought you was going to propose.
Chris
I danced first.
Angela Yee
He said I dance first.
Ricky Smiley
Okay.
Angela Yee
Chris, my guy.
Ricky Smiley
Oh, you got to get him. No, ain't nothing wrong with him. What? Ain't nothing wrong with him. Y' all didn't mess up his check.
Angela Yee
Chris, make sure he pay you now. He paid you. Come on.
Ricky Smiley
Talking to my.
Angela Yee
Come on, Chris. Go here.
Chris
Go.
Angela Yee
Chris. Chris, did he pay you? I hope he gave you A down payment. Now, before you got up here, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah. I gotta talk now. Who is that?
Chris
I know you. I know you as hell well, huh? And that you so well.
Angela Yee
Yes, sir.
Ricky Smiley
That's Charlemagne, my love. Do you know who Ricky. And you know who that is?
Chris
Yo, my. No.
Ricky Smiley
Who?
Chris
A female rapper.
Ricky Smiley
That's just hilarious. I know, all right. I know. Nice, nice. Do you know him?
Chris
Yo, I know him.
Angela Yee
Who? That is dj.
Chris
I'm. My butt right there.
Ricky Smiley
That's my butt right there.
Angela Yee
He ain't say that. Chris don't get down.
Ricky Smiley
He watch all every day. We appreciate you. Yeah. So we had to give you a look, you know, had to serenade.
DJ Envy
Thank you so much.
Angela Yee
We appreciate you, Chris.
Just Hilarious
Yeah, Chris, we appreciate.
Angela Yee
Make sure he pay you, man.
Ricky Smiley
What?
Chris
Yeah, I'm. I'm Got a song for my brother, right?
Angela Yee
You got a song?
Chris
Yeah.
Angela Yee
What is it?
Chris
For my brother.
Ricky Smiley
Sing it.
Angela Yee
You can do karaoke. Hit that country grandma one time.
DJ Envy
So the name Ricky ain't never played.
Angela Yee
This song on the radio. You ain't never asked Ricky to play it.
Chris
Yeah, you do it.
Ricky Smiley
See, I knew this was gonna make your day. I knew it was gonna make your day.
Angela Yee
My man, he be asking about.
Ricky Smiley
He asked about you last time. That's why I brought you up here.
Chris
I know. Yeah, I know him.
Angela Yee
My guy, Chris.
Chris
I like your shirt.
Ricky Smiley
I love it.
DJ Envy
I like your shirt, too.
Angela Yee
How long it take to play a record?
Just Hilarious
We gotta find it, man.
DJ Envy
So look, did you write it or just off the top of the head? Freestyle, okay?
Angela Yee
Yes, sir.
Chris
Okay.
Angela Yee
Rest in peace.
Chris
Let me tell you all right, now. I'm gonna do it now. My brother, me, Yeah, I ran together. Hello. On the ways. Little baby, a little brother. I got something for you, though. Also for you. You're gone. Are you gonna. Brother. Whatever he said to me, brother Chris, my family, I love you. You know, my gone. My good song. I want a little something for him.
Ricky Smiley
You know what? You. If they can't find a song, you can just sing something to all the ladies. You gotta sing that song because it's sad. You gotta say something.
Chris
A good song.
Ricky Smiley
Okay.
Angela Yee
How many girlfriends you got, Chris?
Chris
Yeah, I'm got one right now.
Angela Yee
Just one right now.
Ricky Smiley
He talking about this girl named Kiki. She got with somebody else, though.
Angela Yee
Hey, how many you had before everybody.
Ricky Smiley
Called everybody on Instagram?
Chris
My friend Tik Tok.
Angela Yee
Yes, sir.
Chris
Her name is.
Angela Yee
What's her name?
Chris
Nina.
Angela Yee
Nina.
DJ Envy
Oh, Nick, you think?
Angela Yee
I don't know if you should be shouting her out yet, though. She might have another man.
Chris
No, you sure? No, I'm on my love.
Angela Yee
You met it. You met it yet.
Ricky Smiley
You hit it.
Chris
Stop.
Ricky Smiley
You hit it.
Chris
Stop it.
Angela Yee
You went down on it.
Chris
You said that too.
Angela Yee
What you mean.
Chris
Going tell quick. I wear back.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah.
Chris
And the way back on my famous. He did it.
Angela Yee
Yeah.
Chris
And I went back Come close. Start on he did it to me. Star Dome. My famous.
DJ Envy
Yes.
Chris
Tik Tok. Tik Tok.
Angela Yee
Star Dom. Star Dom ain't no joke.
Chris
No, no, no, no. Tik Tok.
Ricky Smiley
You should host a show there. You should have your own comedians going on the road. And you should host shows all over the country.
DJ Envy
I got to get back to.
Ricky Smiley
We found it now.
Angela Yee
A white girl don't do the.
Chris
Girl.
Angela Yee
Black queens forever. No bunnies never.
DJ Envy
About to smack you.
Angela Yee
No.
Chris
He is. Nana, help me. Chris, baby. I love you, man. I love you, girl.
Angela Yee
Let's go. Big Chris ain't playing. We found the record, Chris. Laying it down quite flat, is he? You hear me? Lay that game down.
Ricky Smiley
All right, Chris.
Just Hilarious
We got you.
Chris
I love you. I miss you.
Ricky Smiley
And it's an answer matter you on rabbit.
Chris
Yeah, I know it'.
Angela Yee
Get him, Chris. Get him, Chris. Come on, Chris. Hey. Get him, Chris. Get him, Chris. Get him. Get him, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Get him, Chris. Get him, Chris.
Angela Yee
Get him, Chris. Get him, Chris. Get him, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Keep going.
Angela Yee
Keep going. There you have it. Ladies and gentlemen, Big Chris, Ricky, Smiley. The new special Foolish is streaming now. The star of the show, Chris.
Cindy Crawford
Love you, Ricky.
Angela Yee
Tell them where to follow you on social media. Chris.
DJ Envy
Yeah, I got it.
Angela Yee
Okay, okay. I know how to do this to help him.
Chris
Find me Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, subscribe me YouTube.
Just Hilarious
Big Chris.
Chris
Big Chris Mill, baby.
Ricky Smiley
Big Chris Smith. Big Chris.
DJ Envy
Big Chris Smith.
Ricky Smiley
Thank y' all, brother.
Angela Yee
Absolutely, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Thank you.
Angela Yee
You.
Just Hilarious
It's the Breakfast Club.
Ricky Smiley
I'm telling long ass stories now. You gotta go ahead, Chris.
Angela Yee
Do your thing. Go do your thing, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Come on, hurry up. You gotta go. You don't want to eat, don't you? Okay.
Just Hilarious
That's right, Chris.
Ricky Smiley
Wa.
Just Hilarious
Tell your story, Chris.
DJ Envy
What the hell going on?
Chris
Is he back in the day, man? Me and my brother. And now I'm gonna tell him. Yeah, you know me on he Daddy. I said Smith gone. I got song gone. I got this on my song.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah.
Chris
My tongue hood.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah.
Chris
My. My main life. My man favorite man. We're going as me.
Ricky Smiley
Yeah, that's right. You're growing ass, man.
Angela Yee
That's right.
Ricky Smiley
We gotta go.
Angela Yee
Is that song on streaming services? It's on right now, YouTube. Go download it on YouTube right now. You don't download on YouTube.
Ricky Smiley
On YouTube right now.
Angela Yee
There you go. Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. My guy, Chris.
Just Hilarious
Thank you, Big Chris.
Ricky Smiley
You, you, you. Real messy. And appreciate you, Chris, too.
Just Hilarious
It's the Breakfast Club.
Ricky Smiley
I'll never come back when you're here. Shut up. Lying.
Angela Yee
Wake that ass up early in the morning.
Ricky Smiley
The Breakfast Club.
Charlamagne Tha God
If you're not watching BMF on Stars, you're seriously missing out from executive producer Curtis 50 Cent Jackson. The new season is coming, and Meech and Terry are leveling up. They're expanding their empire, launching a music label, and even hitting the 1995 Source Awards. Oh, and did I mention Lamar is back. BMF is where drama, hustle, and hip hop collide. The drama top tier, the stakes higher than ever. This is the season everyone's going to be talking about. Don't miss the season premiere June 6th. Only on Starz and the Starz app.
Ricky Smiley
I'm Rodney Williams.
Angela Yee
And I'm Travis Holloway.
Ricky Smiley
Welcome to the wealthbreak podcast, a real conversation about finance. Let's be honest. Building wealth doesn't look the same for everyone. I feel like sometimes being broke is a cycle and that we might have.
Charlamagne Tha God
To revisit that and we're not stopping at success stories.
Travis Holloway
What happens when it doesn't go right? How do you cope with it?
Ricky Smiley
Because wealth isn't just about money. It's about creating a life where you thrive and help others do the same. Listen to the Wealth Break podcast on the iHeartRadio app.
Travis Holloway
From coast to coast, unlock adventure at Red lion hotels by Sonesta, where restful sleep, friendly service and local knowledge await. Whether for business or pleasure, spend less and make more of every trip. When you sign up for the Sonesta Travel Pass, you'll get their best rates instantly. Go to sonesta.com to book your stay and unlock their best rates with Sinesta Travel Pass. Here today, Rome tomorrow. Join now@sinesta.com Terms and conditions apply. As America's most trusted movers, Mayflower has seen it all. From big dreams and new beginnings. All right, here we are. Oh, it's perfect. To first steps and fixer uppers from starter homes.
Ricky Smiley
So guess what?
Travis Holloway
We're having another. Another. We definitely need more space to more practical homes. Yes, Mayflower has been there for it all and will always have your back. Every moment, every move, move, every step of the way. Schedule your move now by going to mayflower.com this is an I heart podcast.
Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club Featuring Ricky Smiley
Episode: INTERVIEW: Rickey Smiley Brings 'Big Chris' On The Breakfast Club
Release Date: June 2, 2025
Host: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Guest: Ricky Smiley
The episode kicks off with promotional content for "BMF" on Starz, followed by a series of advertisements. The main content begins as Ricky Smiley joins the show.
Hosts warmly welcome Ricky Smiley to The Breakfast Club, highlighting his return to the show. Ricky humorously addresses the hosts, mentioning his own show and the balance between his radio career and family life.
Notable Quote:
Ricky Smiley (01:28): "Thank y' all for having me. Your own show, Ricky, Huh?"
Ricky delves into his views on modern comedy and the impact of cancel culture. He reminisces about the 90s comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, and Martin Lawrence, emphasizing their enduring humor despite societal sensitivities.
Notable Quotes:
Ricky Smiley (02:04): "We just in A cancel culture. And on this one, I just say what the hell I want to say."
Ricky Smiley (02:34): "I don't get offended at nothing. Eddie Murphy Delirious is funny."
He discusses his recent comedy special, expressing that he felt external pressure to prove himself but later realized the importance of relaxing and enjoying the craft.
Ricky Smiley (04:28): "We got that. We got to do you right. So I was like, cool. And we did. We shot it. Did three shows, and it was fun."
Ricky shares experiences of mentoring younger comedians, offering constructive criticism to enhance their performances. He cites interactions with comedians like Rita Brent and Special K, illustrating his commitment to fostering talent within the industry.
Notable Quote:
Ricky Smiley (05:24): "I wish I could coach comedy. That's..."
He narrates a memorable incident involving Darnell Rollins during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the spontaneity and adaptability required in live performances.
Ricky Smiley (12:46): "Darnell Rollins goes on stage. And, man, he started doing this stuff. He took the hand sanitizer on stage and, you know, that was when Covid first started..."
Ricky discusses the process behind creating his latest comedy special, "Foolish," emphasizing the importance of authenticity and delivering content that resonates with a broad audience. He reveals that Hulu acquired the special, signaling a shift in how comedians distribute their work.
Notable Quotes:
Ricky Smiley (07:05): "Like, yeah, you give them your concept. I tell you another story."
Ricky Smiley (16:16): "I produced it. Yeah."
He reflects on the decision to forego traditional platforms like BET in favor of streaming services, recognizing the evolving landscape of stand-up comedy distribution.
Ricky opens up about personal challenges, including the loss of his son Brandon. He speaks poignantly about how fatherhood and family have played a pivotal role in his life and comedy, providing both motivation and solace.
Notable Quotes:
Ricky Smiley (25:59): "He watch all every day. We appreciate you. Yeah. So we had to give you a look, you know, had to serenade."
Ricky Smiley (27:24): "So what a great way to... honor your son."
He emphasizes the importance of supporting children through discipline and structure, advocating for their involvement in sports and extracurricular activities as a means to foster resilience and growth.
Ricky Smiley (27:51): "We got to learn to give kids more of what we had as opposed to what we did not have. Right. That's what's ruining kids."
The conversation shifts to societal issues, particularly the lack of adequate support for mental health and educational challenges faced by children. Ricky reminisces about his own school experiences, highlighting the absence of resources for conditions like ADHD during his upbringing.
Notable Quote:
Ricky Smiley (28:38): "They didn't have medicine for adhd."
He advocates for more comprehensive support systems in schools to address the diverse needs of students, ensuring they receive the necessary assistance to thrive both academically and personally.
The show transitions into a lively interactive segment where Ricky engages with co-hosts and a guest, Big Chris. The hosts and Ricky share humorous anecdotes, perform light-hearted skits, and celebrate comedic camaraderie.
Notable Moments:
Notable Quote:
Big Chris (34:38): "For my brother, me. Yeah, you know me on he Daddy."
As the episode concludes, Ricky expresses gratitude towards the hosts and reinforces the importance of authentic storytelling in comedy. The hosts wrap up by promoting Ricky's special "Foolish" and encouraging listeners to follow him on social media.
Notable Quotes:
Ricky Smiley (41:08): "The Breakfast Club."
Ricky Smiley (43:05): "We found it now."
Resilience in Comedy: Ricky Smiley underscores the necessity of staying true to one's comedic voice amidst changing societal norms and cancel culture.
Mentorship: His dedication to mentoring up-and-coming comedians highlights the importance of fostering talent and supporting peers within the industry.
Personal Growth: Ricky's candid discussion about personal loss and family illustrates how personal experiences can shape and enrich one's creative endeavors.
Evolving Platforms: The shift from traditional media to streaming platforms like Hulu represents a significant change in how comedians reach and engage with their audiences.
Advocacy for Youth: Emphasizing structured support systems for children and the importance of mental health resources reflects Ricky's commitment to societal betterment beyond entertainment.
Ricky Smiley (02:04): "The comedy is just. Everybody is too sensitive right now. We need to get back to the 90s when comedians did what they did."
Ricky Smiley (04:28): "I just needed a cushion. So I didn't put pressure on myself to do another one."
Ricky Smiley (07:05): "Like, yeah, you give them your concept. I tell you another story."
Ricky Smiley (19:47): "Yeah, I don't know a lot about it. I'm still learning as I go because my agent, they have to kind of sit me down and explain to me how this stuff work."
Ricky Smiley (27:51): "We got to learn to give kids more of what we had as opposed to what we did not have. Right. That's what's ruining kids."
This episode of The Breakfast Club offers a deep dive into Ricky Smiley's perspectives on comedy, personal growth, and societal issues, enriched with humor and heartfelt moments. Listeners gain insight into the challenges and triumphs of sustaining a career in comedy while navigating personal hardships and evolving industry landscapes.